


Because They Found Themselves Here

by AnAlbanyExpression



Category: Let's Play (Webcomic)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Budding Love, Crying, F/M, Friendship, Hugs, Road Trips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:01:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23744977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnAlbanyExpression/pseuds/AnAlbanyExpression
Summary: Picking up after what had to have been the worst meeting in the history of Young Technologies, Sam and Charles are an hour into the dreadfully long trip back home. Both of them struggling with all of the mistakes they had made, negativity bubbling about the silence that had overcome their trip. That is, until the car breaks down. Leaving Charles with another hour by her side to stew over his fears, and the terror that racks through him upon realizing the biggest mistake of them all. Sam, ready to offer a world of comfort to counteract his sorrow.
Relationships: Charles Jones/Sam Young (Let's Play)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 101





	Because They Found Themselves Here

What had rendered this silence about the air was undeniably stifling, and bitter. _Six fucking months._

Charles and Sam were united in their anger, though totally separated in kind. This irritation, it had been brought about by a world of upset. People upsetting them, them upsetting each other. The two were irrevocably fuming behind their seatbelts, lips sealed with the urge to pucker at how the mood had soured. Wanting to part and speak words of such little, petty value out of spite for their situation. 

_Four goddamn hours._

Charles shook his head as he drove, hardly acknowledging the nostalgic feel about this empty road in his infuriated contemplation. Knowing that the recollection of Wales could only stir the proverbial pot of cynicism stewing behind his temple. _I should contact Rosewood upon our return._

Sam sighed as she observed the sky, opting to focus on the farthest thing away from Charles as possible. Admittedly afraid of facing him even an hour after they had packed up and set for home. Not speaking to one another. Though pissy in her own right, Sam couldn't help the twinge of unease that overcame her the more she considered this unfamiliar situation. She furrowed her brow at the clouds, appearing purple against the setting sun. It was inevitable, she assumed as she bit her lip. The team had made a pretty huge, rookie mistake. And, they had totally overlooked it in their review. Regardless...

_I really don't like this quiet._

"We tried," Sam managed, gaze feeling as aimless as her tone while it stayed pointedly away from his form. She felt a fraction of her rage chip away with the words, melancholy replacing its previous position upon her psyche. Eyes closing as that sadness spread throughout her, despite timing and inconvenience. _I'm so sorry, Charles._

"Yes." 

Her bite upon the flesh of her lip became harder at that, no longer knowing or comprehensive towards the negativity which branded her spirit as she failed to manage what she could. Sitting there, and keeping quiet. _He's upset, and you couldn't even give him that much._

Face crumpling, she was glad to be looking out the window to her right. Not that he would've noticed her expression, as he was separated into his own realm of driving while maintaining the fragile peace about the atmosphere. Her breaths were trained and even as she shielded herself away, tears brimming upon her waterlines. _You need to get a hold of yourself._

 _She's going to cry._ Charles clenched his jaw, feeling a new wave of self-loathing wash over him as she blatantly hid her face in his periphery. _And, she's trying to keep it from you._

He fought for words, something of comfort or reassurance. Whatever he could've said escaped him, though. What is there to say?

_Maybe I just shouldn't say anything._

His eyebrows furrowed with the weight of everything that battled within, making a hypocrite out of him and his whole, 'don't tent your brow' sentiment. If he weren't driving, Charles would let himself close his eyes at the plethora of negativity yesterday has inflicted upon them both. Work had been wasted, the Ellesmere project shot to Hell. Leaving this pair with the burden of knowledge. Bearers of dreadful news, they were. The mere thought of Samuel's to-be reaction made Charles nauseous, though he would never admit it, and he couldn't help but lift a hand from the wheel to smooth his hair back at the thought.

The man already despised Charles, so there was a looming threat of unemployment given the situation. Beyond having finally given Samuel a reason to fire him, however, there was really no other thing for him to fret over regarding Mr. Young's fury. He was always unabashedly finding excuses to reinstate his dislike for Charles during what felt like every interaction. It was a fact which had never bothered him before, because why should it? His boss has always been passionate in everything that he does, including hating him. Charles thought that he was okay with being hated, but…

_I don't want her father to hate me._

"Dammit." He hissed. Christ, if he didn't feel out of his depth. It took Samara's gasp to shake him back into reality, forcing him to comprehend once more that she was crying. _Perhaps he has good reason to, asshole._

"I-I'm sorry," she sniffed, half-heartedly attempting to laugh at herself and failing miserably, a tiny sob escaping her instead. And, Jesus, but the woman's weeping destroys him. That noise brought a bit of moisture to his own eyes. Her sob, compiled with so, so many other things. _Just make it right, Charles._

"Don-"

He was cut off by a dreadful, bone-rattling rumble, hitting the two of them and instilling yet another stressor throughout the air. The source of said sound, presumably serving as the cause for the vehicle's choppy, slow stopping on its own accord. Charles was hardly allotted three seconds to pull over, his car giving up its progression at a slight diagonal against the side of the road.

At first, they both took a moment to let it sink in. For reasons unknown, they were stranded, somewhere in between LA and San Francisco. And, of every overpopulated fraction of the state, they've landed themselves on a road which was otherwise deserted if not for them. Charles, resolve slipping away from his intentions, angrily attempted to start the car once more. His movements were stiff as it refused to show any signs of functionality, compelling him to pinch the bridge of his nose with a scowl. _Why?_

Both of them were quiet, one silenced by the obvious agitation radiating off of the second. All chagrin forgotten in light of their new dilemma, Sam wiped her face before braving a glance in his direction, wanting to curl within her guilt at the sight that awaited her. He was more than irritated, she knew. In fact, the truth of the matter startled her more than anything. For the briefest of moments, Charles was totally and entirely defeated. All of the effort and push he keeps at a constant, dissolved into the stuffy, no longer air conditioned vehicle. Leaving a shadow of his facade in its wake.

It was sadness. An epic feeling of failure that existed behind that frown. Guilt swimming in the faint gloss of tears upon his waterline. He looked mad, but more importantly, he wasn't. Nor was he annoyed. She felt her brows tent at that.

Her entire life, if nothing else, Samara had proven to be capable of weathering so many circumstances. All of which presented themselves in a fashion that was made to tear her down. Some of them had succeeded, but she always stood tall once more. Because she had a support system. Friends, family, nurses. But, Charles…

She had never been placed before such a pure example of surrender. Charles, though it was only so for an instant, seemed as if he was done. It was a display so frightening and horrible that she couldn't have looked away if she tried. 

"Stay here." His words were weak, but clear as he unbuckled his seat belt. Careful to step out of the car and slam his door before she could say anything else. Object to his exit. Convince him that he was okay. _I don't deserve her comfort._

His tears didn't fall, though he sniffed anyways as he walked up to the front of his car. _Why am I even here?_

Hands shaking, Charles yanked the hood open, stepping back and erupting into a fit of coughs as his face was met with an impressive cloud of smoke. Grateful that Samara had heeded his demand that she remain inside the vehicle. Far from the toxicity of him and the fumes floating about his body. _Why am I constantly dragging people down?_

Sighing, the unfamiliar sensation of moisture fogging his vision disappeared as quick as it had arisen. Retrieving his phone, he searched the web for the nearest auto repair shop, mapping out how long it would take to get a tow truck to their location in San Benito County. If they were lucky, it shouldn't be longer than half an hour. _perhaps I won't be contacting Rosewood._

Charles shook his head, rubbing a hand over his jaw and dialing the number for a local roadside assistance company, relaying the information that he and a coworker were broken down on the side of the road. He bit the inside of his cheek as the woman on the other end of the line told him it would take about an hour to get to them, for they were backed up due to a nasty crash on the highway. _Why?_

"Alright, we'll be waiting." He managed to remain polite, patient with the thought of anyone who might've been hurt in the aforementioned crash. There was no denying which situation took priority over the other. Even so…

"Okay, you guys be careful. Bye, now." She finished sweetly. Charles couldn't bring himself to give her a farewell in return, choosing to just hang up and marvel at the scenario they've landed themselves in. Of course, it had been the data entry. Charles should've known better than to assign the job to Umed, after all the time he's spent with GUI. Jacob would've been better suited, if not Samara. Traveling all that way, testing the kinks out of their work for a week. It had all been for nothing. And, now she's crying. Alone. _Nice going, Charles._

 _Why the Hell does that bother me so much?_ Charles fumbled with his phone, tracing the volume button on the side, never abandoning his stance before the hood of the car. Utilizing the fact that it was open and shielding him from her vision. Stalling his return, wary of himself and his reactions. 

He started feeling kind of ridiculous, rationality coming back to him as he reached up and shoved the hood closed again, phone still in hand. Ensuring that his face assumed its stoic nature once more, reasoning that all he had to do was comfort his friend and wait for the ability to drive her home. Shouldn't be so hard. _Just, make it better..._

Sighing once more, he moved to return his phone into the pocket of his trousers, hand sliding onward as he continued his walk to the side of the car. Though, he paused. He realized. His face fell as he stood at a pivotal halt, mid venture.

Charles understood so many things about the evils of a place like Earth. And, there are moments in this place, this world, which occur for no purpose other than to serve as a reminder that you can never really see a broken heart coming.

Charles yanked his phone back out, dropping it onto the asphalt without caution or hesitance. Gripping the now empty pocket in its wake.

His cheeks were streaked with wetness before he had the chance to turn away, forgetting about everything beyond himself as he let go, floodgates opening on their own accord. _Cachu._

"I..." Charles choked, biting his lip as a last resort to keep the words at bay, because how could he ever accept them? In one day, he had managed failing Young Technologies, getting short with Samara, making her cry, destroying his team's project, tarnishing his integrity, and most importantly: Charles had forgotten his wedding ring. He knew there was no going back for it, no explaining to Samara why. No forgiving himself for wanting to.

He cried harder, then. Slapping a palm over his mouth as one fist remained painfully clenched in his pocket. Borderline hyperventilating the further its absence branded his heart. _It's gone._

_You have to get back in the car and snap the fuck out of it. You'll only worry her. Raise questions with answers that she'll force out of you._

Both hands flattened upon his face, sobs racking his body as he made no moves to join her. He felt weak with it all, memories and unsettled conflicts finally proving to be too much, too soon. All he could muster were the steps necessary for him to rest his arms atop the roof of the vehicle, cradling his head as it grew impossibly tortured and consumed by what he had done. _How could I have left it?_

A heartbreaking, anguished cry left him at that. Muffled a bit by his sleeve as he attempted to hide himself within the cloth of his jacket, nuzzling his face further into his arms and letting the car support his weight in its entirety. Quitting his tendency to pretend, the front of his Californian self. Assuming the Charles Jones of Wales in the midst of a breakdown that was long overdue. As necessary as it was sudden. Right now, he wasn't the general manager of a multi-million dollar company, nor was he aloof or indifferent. Charles was torn apart, a memory of a man who possessed the capacity for companionship. A divorcee who couldn't stand to pretend he was okay anymore. Letting himself fall for someone new, which made everything worse by an infanticimal amount. And his ring was _gone._

Samara was sure to be as gentle and quiet as possible, climbing out of the passenger side door and not bothering to close it. She needed to steady herself for a moment, breathing deeply as his sobs penetrated her heart like daggers from behind. She was terrified as soon as he'd stopped at his door, though knowing. Given the expression she had witnessed before his departure to the outside, she wasn't surprised in the slightest to hear his crying, or to watch as his form settled against his window. He probably hadn't noticed her exit yet, judging by his gasping breaths. How his noises never lost their cadence. _Oh, Charles._

She didn't acknowledge the blur in her own vision as she rounded the car with her worry, eyes never abandoning the view of his shaking form. Wanting nothing more in the world than to comfort him, but unsure where to start, she was overwhelmed when she reached him. Without even realizing the elevation of her hand, she began rubbing soft circles into his shoulder blade, opting for a silent approach as opposed to any words of reassurance or queries. Sometimes, people just need to cry.

Predictably, he jumped. Reacted as if he had managed to part from the reality that he wasn't alone. He wasn't, she thought. _I'm right here._

"Samara…" Charles sniffed, turning away as he straightened once more. _No,_

"My apologies. I didn't mean to worry you. I'm afraid I've been suffering with a splitting migraine since we left, and it's gotten particularly intolerable." He was stiffening again, pulling away from her as he righted himself. Smoothing his hair, wiping his face, evening his tone. All of it was wrong, and her frown deepened as he refused to face her with his lies. 

She was determined in her fear for him, knowledgeable in this area. Refusing to buy that the crying she had just heard was applicable to a headache. There was something more going on here.

"Charles, wait…" Sam undid the distance he had generated between them, walking up to grip his arm and provoking him to listen. Back remaining to her front, as if he regarded her presence with dread above all else. She couldn't let up though, plagued by concern and the desire to console him.

"Miss Young-"

"Please, wait." She urged, stepping forward enough to softly bunt her forehead upon his back. Feeling his breaths come and go as they were notably anxious, another factor about his mood which stood to bruise her aching heart. 

"Keep crying." 

The words were hardly louder than a whisper as she spoke them, fingers tightening around his bicep.

"I don't…"

"It's okay, we're alone. Nobody will ever know." She cooed, snaking an arm around his waist, holding him to the best of her ability despite the disparity between their heights. Releasing a watery exhale as he melted against her in the slightest.

His head fell, then. Hand reaching up to rest across his brow as he let himself take advantage of the opportunity she gave. No longer strong enough to fight the pain with which he regarded this day, this life. He cried broken, devistated sobs as he mourned the ring he had abandoned somewhere in San Francisco. The years he had left in Wales. All of the people he once knew.

Sam embraced him through it all. Never asking what was wrong or telling him to calm down. Stroking his chest and weeping silently into his spine. She did everything possible to warm his heart, his spirit. Succeeding, despite how he wished she couldn't. Inspiring an entirely different sum of tears as she naively convinced Charles further how easy it is to fall for Samara Young.

**Author's Note:**

> All rights and credit should be directed towards Mongie, creator of the Webtoon Let's Play. Be sure to check her out on Instagram, (@mongrelmarie), and read Let's Play!


End file.
